Corsica’s name for sangiovese, probably brought there by the genoese who ruled the island until the late 18th century. Often blended with sciacarello (Mammolo), it constitutes an increasing proportion of the island’s appellation contrôlée reds and, particularly, rosés, for which it is especially suitable. It is the principal ingredient in Patrimonio, on whose clay-limestone soils it thrives. It buds early and ripens late and is therefore susceptible to late frosts in spring and rot during the harvest.
